Daily Content Archive

Word of the Day
gargantuan Definition: (adjective) Of immense size, volume, or capacity; gigantic. Synonyms: elephantine, giant, jumbo Usage: He was full to capacity after polishing off a gargantuan, five-course meal.

Article of the Day

Whale Falls Whale carcasses that have sunk to the sea floor are known in the scientific community as whale falls. Around them spring up complex localized ecosystems, which feed off the rich sustenance they provide for decades. The phenomenon was accidentally discovered in 1987 by a team of University of Hawaii oceanographers, who were exploring the ocean depths with a robotic submersible. Many previously unknown species have since been discovered at whale falls. Which organisms thrive in this environment? More...

This Day in History

Isaac Singer Granted Patent for Sewing Machine (1851) Before the advent of the sewing machine, sewing was a laborious task. Singer's 1851 sewing machine patent made him a very rich man. Several other people laid claim to having invented the sewing machine, notably Elias Howe, who won a lawsuit against Singer for infringement. Nevertheless, Singer's company was already well established and was able to pool its patents with other claimants to avoid litigation. At times, Singer used alternate names to accomplish what scandalous feat? More...

Today's Birthday

Ross and Norris McWhirter (1925) In 1954, a few years after identical twins Norris and Ross McWhirter founded a London fact-finding agency, they met a director of the Guinness brewing company, Sir Hugh Beaver, who commissioned a compilation of world records that was intended to settle bar-room disputes. The first edition of the McWhirters' Guinness Book of Records was given to bars for free as a marketing gimmick, but the book quickly became a phenomenal success. In 1975, Ross was assassinated. Why? More...

Quotation of the Day
November, n.: The eleventh twelfth of a weariness. Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914)

Idiom of the Day
quake like a leaf — To tremble violently with fear or nervousness. More...

Today's Holiday
The Glorious Twelfth (2021) August 12 is the legal opening of grouse season in Scotland. If the 12th falls on a Sunday, Grouse Day is the following day. Because grouse-shooting has always played such a central role in the life of Scottish gentlemen, the occasion is referred to as the Glorious Twelfth and is observed as a social event by Scots around the world. More...